med ethics

• Medical ethics


  The branch of ethics that deals with moral issues in medical practice
• Ethics


  A set of philosophical beliefs and practices concerned with the distinction between right and wrong
• Bioethics (biomedical ethics)


  A very broad subject concerned with the moral issues raised by developments in the biological sciences more generally
• Medical etiquettes

  The conventional laws, customs of courtesy and the code of conduct governing the relationship of the physician with his professional colleagues
• Medical ethics

  Concerned with the obligations of the doctors and the hospital to the patient along with other health professionals and society
• Ethics

  Concerned with moral principles, values and standards of conduct
• Morality


  The value dimension of human decision-making and behaviour
• Some common morals

  • Always tell the truth (no cheat)
  • Do not destroy property
  • Have courage
  • Keep your promises
  • Treat others as you want to be treated
  • Do not judge
  • Be dependable
• In recent times medical ethics has been greatly influenced by developments in human rights
• Physicians frequently have to deal with medical problems resulting from violations of human rights, such as forced migration and torture
• Medical ethics is closely related to law
• Ethics prescribes higher standards of behaviour than does the law, and occasionally ethics requires that physicians disobey laws that demand unethical behaviour
• Respect for persons


  An ethical principle basic to the physician-patient relationship
• Informed consent

  An ethical principle basic to the physician-patient relationship
• Confidentiality


  An ethical principle basic to the physician-patient relationship
• Application of ethical principles in specific situations is often problematic, since physicians, patients, their family members and other healthcare personnel may disagree about what is the right way to act in a situation
• The study of ethics

  • Prepares medical professionals to recognize difficult situations and to deal with them in a rational and principled manner
  • Is important in physicians' interactions with society and their colleagues and for the conduct of medical research
  • Provides standards in the professional relationship between the physician and their clients or patients
  • Helps in the prevention of unethical practices such as negligence and malpractice
• Principles of medical ethics

  • Autonomy
  • Beneficence
  • Confidentiality
  • Do no harm/Non-maleficence
  • Equity or Justice
• Autonomy


  Patient has freedom of thought, intention and action when making decisions regarding health care procedures
• Beneficence


  The practitioner should act in "the best interest" of the patient - the procedure be provided with the intent of doing good to the patient
• Confidentiality


  Maintain the confidentiality of all personal, medical and treatment information
• Do no harm/Non-maleficence

  Make sure that the procedure does not harm the patient or others in society
• Double effect

  When interventions undertaken by physicians create a positive outcome while also potentially doing harm
• Equity or Justice

  Fair and equal distribution of scarce health resources, and the decision of who gets what treatment
• The Hippocratic Oath is one of the earliest documents in medical ethics – 5th century BC
• The Hippocratic Oath is traditionally recited by all doctors at swearing in, and is considered sacred for its religious foundation and sanctity
• Each applicant, at the time of making an application for registration, shall be provided a copy of the declaration and shall submit a duly signed Declaration
• Autonomy

  Self-rule with no control, undue influence or interference from other
• Autonomy


  • The patient has the right to refuse or choose their treatment
  • The ability of the person to make his or her own decisions
• Autonomy is the central premise of the concept of informed consent and shared decision making
• Autonomy


  Respect for the decision-making capacity of competent adults
• Respect for self-determination is deeply rooted in American history and imagination
• The rise of autonomy in bioethics is quite recent, until the 1960s medical ethics was largely "internal to medicine"
• During the last half of the 20th century, many traditional aspects of authority in our society were questioned, as manifested in the civil rights, feminist, and anti-war movements
• The practice of medicine was affected as the discourse on medical morality that previously had been held within the profession gave way to a new way of thinking in which the ethical values of society at large— including the rights of the individual— were applied to the practice of medicine
• Principle of autonomy


  • Recognizes the rights of individuals to self-determination
  • Increasing importance as a social reaction to a "paternalistic" tradition within healthcare
• Autonomy


  Basis for informed consent and advance directives
• Autonomy


  A general indicator of health, for both personal well-being, and for the well-being of the profession
• Personal autonomy

  Self-rule that is free from both controlling interference by others and from limitations, such as inadequate understanding, that prevent meaningful choice
• Characteristics needed to exercise autonomy

  • Self-determination: Ability to determine one's own beliefs, values, goals and wants, and to make choices regarding matters of practical import to one's life free from undue interference
  • Self-government: Ability to make choices and enact decisions that express, or are consistent with, one's values, beliefs and commitments
  • Having authenticity: A person's decisions, values, beliefs and commitments must be her 'own' in some relevant sense